Volkswagen Group saved by other brands, as VW drops, and SEAT, Skoda, Audi and Porsche rise.

• Slight increase of 0.3 per cent in deliveries for first five months
• 858,000 vehicles handed over in May
• Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler: “Deliveries so far this year characterised by mixed market trends.”

The Volkswagen Group delivered 4.20 (January-May 2014: 4.19; +0.3 per cent) million vehicles from January to May. “Deliveries so far this year have been characterised by mixed market trends. 

Even with their broad range of young and eco-friendly models, the Volkswagen Group brands are not entirely immune to this situation,” Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday. 

The Company handed over 858,000 (May 2014: 880,900; -2.6 per cent) vehicles to customers in May. 

“The market situation in the South America region and in Russia remains tense. Developments in Europe continue to be positive. In the meantime, the new normality has arrived in China, where the market situation has changed as expected,” Klinger added.

Group brands delivered a total of 1.73 (1.68; +3.3 per cent) million vehicles on the overall European market in the period to May, of which 936,200 (880,900; +6.3 per cent) were handed over in Western Europe (excluding Germany). 545,700 (512,400; +6.5 per cent) customers chose a new vehicle from the Volkswagen Group on the home market of Germany, while the Company delivered 250,700 (284,200; -11.8 per cent) units in Central and Eastern Europe. 

Deliveries in Russia continued to decline, with 69,900 (118,100; -40.8 per cent) vehicles handed over to customers there.

The Group delivered 370,900 (351,200; +5.6 per cent) vehicles in the North America region from January to May, of which 241,800 (237,900; +1.6 per cent) were handed over to customers in the United States. 

The Volkswagen Group delivered 248,300 (323,700; -23.3 per cent) units in the South America region during the same period, of which 177,800 (254,100; -30.0 per cent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.

1.65 (1.66; -0.6 per cent) million vehicles were handed over to customers in the Asia-Pacific region in the period to May. At 1.49 (1.51; -1.1 per cent) million, deliveries in China, the Group’s largest single market, almost matched last year’s high level.

Outline of developments at Group brands

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 2.48 (2.55; -3.0 per cent) million vehicles to customers worldwide in the first five months.

The premium brand Audi handed over 744,900 (713,900) vehicles worldwide in the period to May, an increase of 4.3 per cent.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche delivered a total of 93,200 (71,500) vehicles, representing an increase of 30.3 per cent compared with the previous year.

The Czech brand ŠKODA delivered 449,700 (428,000) vehicles in the period to May, a rise of 5.1 per cent.

SEAT handed over 176,400 (162,500; +8.6 per cent) vehicles to customers worldwide in the first five months.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 184,400 (178,300; +3.4 per cent)vehicles during the same period.

The MAN brand delivered 39,600 (46,700; -15.0 per cent) units from January to May.

The Swedish brand Scania delivered 30,200 (30,900; -2.4 per cent)heavy trucks and buses to customers in the period to May.

Note to editors: All Group figures include heavy commercial vehicles from the MAN and Scania brands.